Optimal Blood Pressure Control Improves Left Ventricular Torsional Deformation and Vascular Function in Newly Diagnosed Hypertensives: a 3-Year Follow-up Study.

We investigated the effects of optimizing blood pressure control on cardiac deformation and vascular function. For this purpose, in 200 untreated patients with essential hypertension, we assessed at baseline as well as after 3 years of optimal blood pressure control: arterial stiffness and coronary microcirculatory function as well as longitudinal and torsional deformation parameters. Compared to baseline, after 3 years of optimal blood pressure control, there was an improvement of longitudinal strain, twisting as well as untwisting parameters of the left ventricle.

Pulse wave velocity to global longitudinal strain ratio in hypertension.

Background: Arterial elastance to left ventricular elastance ratio assessed by echocardiography is widely used as a marker of ventricular-arterial coupling.

Materials And Methods: We investigated whether the ratio of carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity, as a marker of arterial stiffness, to global longitudinal strain, as a marker of left ventricular performance, could be better associated with vascular and cardiac damage than the established arterial elastance/left ventricular elastance index. In 299 newly-diagnosed untreated hypertensives we measured, carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity, and carotid intima-media thickness, coronary-flow reserve, arterial elastance/left ventricular elastance, global longitudinal strain, and markers of left ventricular diastolic function (E/A and E') by echocardiography.